Vending-machine.



5 9 l 3 1 E N U .J D E T N E T A P G. B. TOWNSEND. VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 792,296. PATENTBD JUNE 13, 1905. G. B. TOWNSEND.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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lllll Wit @5585; %@&W P M No. 792,296. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. G. B.TOWNSEND.

VENDING MACHINE.

UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,296, dated June 13,1905.

Application filed June 30, 1904. Serial No. 214,777.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. TOWNSEND, a citizen of the United States,residing at River Forest, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct avending-machine having aplurality of boxes or compartments so arranged and mounted that a numberof different articles can be vended by the same machine; and theinvention more especially consists in the method of mounting the severalboxes or compartments from which the articles are discharged so that thedifferent boxes or compartments can be successively brought intoposition for operation without the necessity for the operator changinghis position in reference to the machine.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the mounting for theseveral boxes or compartments that they may be quickly and readilyadjusted into place or removed from the mounting or support withoutdisturbing the other boxes or compartments, thereby enabling a defectiveor injured compartment to be removed for repair or substitution withoutdisturbing the general arrangement of the machine.

A further object consists in arranging the mounting or support so thatit will occupy the least possible-amount of space and at the same timebe strong and durable and easily manipulated as well as attractive inappearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide protective means for theseveral compartments or boxes so that the delicate mechanism thereincontained will not be injured by jolts or jars or by rough handlingincidental to the operation of the machine.

The present invention does not relate to the interior mechanism forvending the contents of the several compartments or boxes, but relatesentirely to the means by which the several compartments are arranged andheld in position upon the mounting or support; and the invention finallyconsists in the features of construction and combination of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevationof the entire device; Fig. 2, a view, partly in section, showing theinterior arrangement of the support or upright; Fig. 3, a top viewshowing the roof or cover removed; Fig. 4, a side elevation somewhatenlarged of the attaching-plate and ball-bearing mounting therefor; Fig.5, a sectional view of ,Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a view showing the devicesupplied with the protective canopy, and Fig. 7 a section of the canopy.

The vending-machine of the present invention is constructed to have abase A, preferably of suflicient size and weight to prevent the easyremoval or displacement of the ma chine, and mounted upon said base isan upwardly-extending post or upright 60, which extends clear throughthe machine up to the top thereof. Said post or upright, as shown, isconstructed of pipe, although it may be constructed of solid material,if so desired. At a suitable distance from the base upon the post orupright is .a circular table B, provided on its under side withradially-arranged ribs 6, converging together into a circular collar 6,which is firmly held in position upon the sup porting post or upright bymeans of a setscrew '6 or in any other suitable manner. The circulartable is preferably provided around its outer edge with anupwardly-extending flange P, which serves to prevent any of the contentsof the vending-machine which chance to fall upon the table from beingdislodged therefrom. At a suitable distance above the circular table isa collar C, held in position upon the supporting post or upright bymeans of set-screws c, and in the upper face of said collar is a runway0, within which is located a series of ball-bearings c and said runwaycooperates with a runway (Z in a supporting-plate D, whichsupportingplate is provided with a hole or opening d in its center,through which passes the supporting post or upright, allowing thesupportingplate to revolve freely around the upright or post by means ofthe ball-bearings heretofore referred to. As shown, the supporting-plateis hexagonal in shape, having six flat sides, and on each of the flatsides, in the center thereof, is an upwardly-extending ear (Z providedin its center with a hole or eye (Z for the passage of a bolttherethrough. At a suitable distance above the supporting-plate D is anupper supporting-plate E, of similar size and shape, provided with aseries of ears 6, similarly arranged and having holes or eyes 6therethrough.

At the upper end of the supporting post or upright is a roof or top F,preferably of ornamental design, which serves as a protection or coverfor the remaining parts, and the end of the upright or post is protectedby means of a cap f, screw-threaded onto the end of the upright or post.

To the six fiat sides of the upper and lower supporting-plates areattached a plurality of independent vending-machines G, which are eachcapable of vending a commodity and each of a length to easily revolve inthe space between the circular table and the roof or top, and saidvending-machines are adapted to be secured to the supporting-plates bymeans of bolts g, which pass through the several ears of thesupporting-plates and hold the vending-machines securely in place andallow the entire series of vending-machines to be readily and easilyrevolved around the supporting post or upright. Each of the boxes orcompartments is provided with a door 9 on its front, and said doors arelocked into place by means of locks g, so that it is necessary to removethe door of one of the machines in order to obtain access into theinterior thereof. The bolts g pass through the rear wall 9 of theindependent machines, and said bolts are secured to the machines fromthe inside by means of nuts (not shown) or other suitable lockingmechanism.

The arrangement is one which allows of the employment of a plurality ofindependent machines which may be removed from the supporting mechanismand used independently, if so desired, and may be reassembled andsupported in the form shown, if so desired. The arrangement is one whichperfectly balances the mechanism and leaves a diverging space betweeneach of the independent vending-machines, thereby enabling them to. bereadily grasped by the hand of the operator in revolving the machine.The circular table which projects slightly beyond the bases of themachines affords a substantial protection against injury in case theupright should be upset by any accident, in which case the edge of thecircular table would strike the ground and save the faces of thevending-machines from contact therewith, thereby preventing orminimizing injury to the machine. The table, with its flanged edge,further serves to prevent any articles vended from any one of theseveral machines from falling to the ground when they are forciblyejected, as will sometimes happen.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown an arrangement by which the machine will bepreserved from injury due to inclemency of the weather, and sucharrangement consists in a removable canopy or top H of circular orumbrella shape mounted upon a rod h, which is adapted to be held withinthe hollow upright or post and to slide up and down therein to regulatethe height of the canopy above the machine. The rod is carried by asocket it, which is screwthreaded into the upper end of the upright orpost, and the rod is held in its socket by means of a set-screw 7L2,which allows the rod to be raised or lowered in order to regulate theposition of the canopy. 1n ordinary use the canopy will be elevatedabove the machine sutficiently to allow a tall man to stand thereunder,which arrangement will sufliciently protect the machines under ordinarycircumstances; but in case of a rain or snow storm the canopy can belowered into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, therebysheltering and protecting the operative parts from all danger. Thesocket is of a size to allow the ball f, hitherto described, to beinserted into place on the end of the upright or post when the canopyand supporting-rod are removed, so that the machine can be used eitherwith or without the canopy without in any way changing the arrangementof the parts. The canopy presents a large surface which may beadvantageously employed for advertising purposes, thereby increasing thevalue of the machine, which, moreover, is so adapted and arranged thatit may be employed in open places and is not limited to use withinstores or upon walls, as is ordinarily the case.

Each of the independent vending-machines carried by the supportingmechanism is complete in itself and is so arranged that it can be usedindependently, if so desired, the arrangement being one which enablesits easy removal from the supporting mechanism. The utility of theseveral machines is in no wise impaired by their arrangement in aseries, so that they may be operated in series or independently at willand the several independent machines carried by the supporting mechanismcan be changed or shifted at will, allowing an empty machine to beremoved and a loaded machine substituted without the necessity forfilling the machine when in place on the supporting mechanism. In thesame way the number of commodities vended by the multiplevending-machine can be varied by removing certain of the independentmachines and substituting others therefor without interfering with theoperation of the device to an appreciable extent.

"What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post a plurality of independent vending-machines revolublyarranged around the central support, a mounting for the independentvending-machines to which they are removably secured, and means forholding the mounting in revoluble relation to the fixed central uprightor post, substantially as described.

2. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a supporting-plate revolubly mounted upon the fixedcentral upright or post, and a plurality of independent vending-machinesremovably secured to the supporting-plate and radially arranged withrespect to the fixed central upright or post, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a supporting-plate carried by the upright or post, aball-bearing mounting for the supporting-plate allowing the same torevolve around the upright or post, a series of ears around the edge ofthe supporting-plate, a plurality of independent vending-machines andlocking means for securing the vendingmachines to the ears. saidvending-machines being radially arranged with respect to the fixedcentral upright or post, substantially as described.

I. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a supporting-plate carried by the upright or post, aball-bearing mounting for the supporting-plate allowing the same torevolve around the upright or post, a series of cars around the edge ofthe supporting-plate, a plurality of independent vending-machineslocking means for securing the vending-machines to the ears, saidvending-machines-being radially arranged with respect to the fixedcentral upright or post, and a table fixedly secured to the upright orpost below the independent vending-machines, substantially as described.

5. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a table fixedly secured to the upright or post, lowerand upper supporting-plates through which the upright or post passes, aball-bearing mounting for one of the supporting-plates for allowing itto revolve around the upright or post, and a plurality of independentvending-machines radially arranged with respect to the upright or postand removably secured to the supporting-plates, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a table fixedly secured to the upright or post,

lower and upper supporting-plates through which the upright or postpasses, a ball-bearing mounting for one of the supporting-plates forallowing it to revolve around the upright or post, a plurality ofindependent vendingmachines radially arranged with respect to theupright or post and removably secured to the supporting-plates, doorsfor the vendingmachines allowing access to the interior thereof, andmeans adapted to be manipulated from the interior of thevending-machines for unfastening the same from the supporting-plates,substantially as described.

7. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a plurality of independent vending-machines revolublyarranged around the central sup port, a mounting for the independentvending-machines to which they are removably secured, means for holdingthe mounting in revoluble relation to the fixed central upright or post,and a canopy removably secured at the top of the fixed central uprightor support, substantially as described.

8. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a fixed centralupright or post, a plurality of independent vending-machines revolublyarranged around the central support, a mounting for the independentvending-machines to which they are removably secured, means for holdingthe mounting in revoluble relation to the fixed central upright or post,a rod slidably mounted within the fixed central upright or support and acanopy supported by the rod and adapted to be raised and lowered thereinto shelter the vending mechanism, substantially as described.

9. In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a support, amounting rotatably secured to the support, and a plurality ofindependent vending-machines removably secured to the mounting andadapted to revolve therewith, substantially as described.

10. In a multiple vending-machine,the combination of a support, amounting revolubly secured to the support, and a plurality ofvending-machines removably secured to the mounting and adapted torevolve therewith, substantially as described.

11 In a multiple vending-machine, the combination of a support, amounting revolubly secured to the support, and a plurality ofvending-machines radially arranged with respect to the support andremovably secured to the mounting and adapted to revolve therewith,substantially as described.

GEORGE B. TOWVNSEND.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. HASWELL, SAMUEL W. BANNING.

